The present invention relates to methods and articles to be used in connection with the treatment of living beings such as human beings.
In particular, the present invention relates to implanting and splicing methods and articles.
As a result of various surgical procedures, problems are frequently encountered in connection with healing of the living tissue so that a normal stable state of the tissue is achieved as soon as possible subsequent to the surgical procedures. Thus, in connection with an implant, living tissue is required to become securely united with the implant, and up to the present time difficulties have been encountered in achieving the secure mounting of an implant in the body of a living being in a convenient and rapid manner. The same considerations apply to surgical procedures which involve uniting of body parts such as ligaments, tendons, or tubular body parts such as arteries. In connection both with implanting and splicing procedures, artificial components are introduced into the body, and the presence of these components create problems. Thus, although it is known to provide such components with structures which will encourage the ingrowth of tissue in order to achieve a secure connection between the artificial components and the living tissue, it has been found that the optimum conditions in the relationship between the living tissue and the structure for promoting the ingrowth of tissue are not present with conventional surgical procedures. Moreover, in connection with the simple splicing of tubular body parts, such as the interconnection of parts of an artery at a location where the artery has been severed, the component which is introduced to effect the splice often occupies in an undesirable manner the interior of the interconnected tubular parts, with the result that the cross section of the area through which fluid is required to flow is undesirably diminished. Conventional interconnection of separated parts of tendons, ligaments, arteries, or the like by sewing them together with suitable sutures results undesirably in the formation of scar tissue and other thickenings or bulbous growths.